December 19, 2017

Remembering the loved ones lost to SUDEP

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) is the leading cause of epilepsy-related mortality and the second most common cause of sudden death in children. Sadly, many are still unaware of SUDEP and its risk factors, and even today some neurologists are hesitant to discuss it. CURE is a groundbreaking leader in SUDEP research efforts and has persuaded the government and other organizations to focus on this devastating consequence of epilepsy.

We must find a way to end SUDEP. Your ongoing support ensures that CURE can continue investing in transformative research that saves lives and moves us closer to a cure for epilepsy. 

Erika was 18 years old when she had her first seizure. By age 29, she was seemingly seizure free, successful at work, and happy in life. She loved nature, riding horses, and hiking in New England. Erika adored her fiance, Matthew, and their relationship was nothing short of a fairy tale love story. Then, two months before her wedding, a seizure took her life. Erika’s death was ruled as SUDEP, or Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy.

Chris was a smart, generous, and thoughtful 21-year-old. But he struggled with epilepsy daily: the mind-numbing medications and side effects, short-term memory loss, and lethargy. Chris lived with constant unpredictability. When and where would the next seizure happen? Would they ever be controlled? Chris never got those answers. Ten weeks shy of his college graduation, he died of an epileptic seizure. SUDEP was the cause of death. Before his passing, his family had no idea that Chris was at risk of losing his life to SUDEP, or that epilepsy kills thousands of Americans in this same way each year.

This holiday season, please join us in honoring the memory of Erika, Chris, and all the loved ones lost too soon to epilepsy. We hope you will support CURE’s work to discover the causes, find preventative strategies, and increase awareness about SUDEP. . . and help save lives.